This book is the result of three symposia of the Dutch Society for Landscape Ecology. The first symposium in 2005 was about the National Ecological Network in the Netherlands . The reason was that the implementation of the NEN, decided upon in 1990, was halfway. The second symposium, in 2006, was about urban ecology and the third one, to be held in 2007, will be about civil infrastructure. This book does not cover the conferences completely and new contributions are added. The three themes are important contexts in which landscape ecologists do their research and apply their knowledge and skills. Of course, there are many more subjects to hold conferences about, for example climate change, urbanisation, agriculture, landscape ecology itself etc. The focus of the conferences is on the Netherlands, with its urbanisation, intensive land use and water management as characteristic features. Although many WLO members do their work abroad or in an international context, these conferences offer a window on what happens in the Dutch context. The experiences may be of value for other contexts and that is why we present the results in English. The selected themes and the focus on the Dutch context are serious demarcations of what landscape ecology in the Netherlands is all about. The book does not represent all research and applications of landscape ecology.

'On Site' presents projects and strategies in landscape architecture from Berlin to Bordeaux. The projects are supplemented by essays on European cartography, the cultural landscape, the history of ideas in landscape architecture, the role of ideal landscapes, urban policies, and the pioneers from Portugal.

This important and insightful book provides, for the first time, a broad presentation of ongoing research into public participation in landscape conservation, management and planning, following the 2000 European Landscape Convention which came into force in 2004. The book examines both the theory of participation and what lessons can be learnt from specific European examples. It explores in what manner and to what extent the provisions for participation in the European Landscape Convention have been followed up and implemented. It also presents and compares different experiences of participation in selected countries from northern, southern, eastern and western Europe, and provides a critical examination of public participation in practice. However, while the book’s focus is necessarily on Europe, many of the conclusions drawn are of global relevance. The book provides a valuable reference for researchers and advanced students in landscape policies and management, as well as for professionals and others interested in land-use planning and environmental management.

A presentation of the challenges of European rural landscape management, exploring alternatives that incorporate place-based approaches.

The Council of Europe landscape convention was adopted in Florence (Italy) on 20 October 2000 with the aim of promoting the protection, management and planning of European landscape and organising European co-operation in this area. It is the first international treaty covering all aspects of European landscape. It applies to the entire territory of the contracting parties and covers natural, rural, urban and peri-urban areas. It concerns landscapes that might be considered outstanding, commonplace or deteriorated. By taking into account landscape, culture and nature, the Council of Europe seeks to protect the quality of life and well-being of Europeans in a sustainable development perspective.

Come along on a field trip with the esteemed American naturalist May Theilgaard Watts to see how nature, history and culture have written their stories on the landscapes of Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Britain. She makes a lively guide, knowledgeable, literary, witty and opinionated, drawing on botany, ecology, and geography, as well as literature and folklore, to explain how a place came to look and feel the way it does.In this sequel to her popular book Reading the Landscape of America, Watts explored the hills of Italy, the grouse heath of Britain, the Black Forest of Germany, the limestone plateaus of France, and much more, explaining the forces that shaped these landscapes and continue to change them. Illustrated with dozens of pen and ink by the author. Includes a key to identifying the trees of Europe.